With baseball analyst Gregg Zaun out at Sportsnet, a look at possible replacements

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By:StaffThe Canadian Press Published on

TORONTO — Sportsnet is looking for a new member of its baseball broadcast team after longtime analyst Gregg Zaun was fired Thursday for inappropriate actions and comments against women in the workplace. Here are some potential candidates to fill the role:

J.P. ARENCIBIA

A former Blue Jays catcher, Arencibia seems to be a favourite choice on social media. The affable and telegenic Arencibia, who retired from baseball in January at age 31, would likely have less of an edge than Zaun, a boon or a bane depending on the viewer. He also might think twice before criticizing the players. While playing with the Jays in 2013, Arencibia publicly sounded off on Zaun and former Jays broadcaster Dirk Hayhurst for being too critical. That might be a problem for viewers who preferred Zaun's no-holds-barred approach.

But Arencibia was a popular player in Toronto during his four years with the Jays, and in his retirement statement the Miami native said "Toronto and Canada will always hold the biggest piece of my heart, I always felt home there." And he has a vocal supporter in Jays pitcher Marcus Stroman, who has tweeted several times over the past couple of months that he would like to see Arencibia replace Zaun at Sportsnet.

DAN SHULMAN

Shulman, a Toronto native, was the play-by-play voice for TSN's Blue Jays broadcasts from 1995-2001 before moving south to join ESPN. He has covered baseball and basketball for the U.S. sports giant, while also joining Sportsnet's broadcast team for select Blue Jays games in 2016 and 2017. While he remains ESPN's lead announcer for NCAA basketball, he resigned as play-by-play announcer for its Sunday Night Baseball show after last season to spend more time with his family in Toronto.

MARK BUEHRLE

It's probably a bit of a long shot for proud pitbull owner Buehrle to return to Ontario, what with the province's specific dog ownership laws, but he would conceivably be a good fit. The former star pitcher spent his final three seasons of his impressive career in Toronto, and his no-nonsense demeanour would appeal to those who identified with Zaun's tough-talk approach.